Living for the moment

I wonder if you’re one of those people who is always thinking ahead, worrying about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year?

Lots of things in life draw our attention ahead. Perhaps work, home life, a family, finances or health concerns do that. As a vicar I find myself having to start planning for Christmas in August which I don’t really like!

Recently I was sitting outside watching some swallows gathering on a telephone wire. I decided to try not to think about anything and just enjoy the scene. The birds were swooping and gathering together, and then flying off again. They looked like they were enjoying themselves. I found myself wishing I could be more carefree like them.

I remembered when Jesus was giving a talk to a group of people one day and said ‘Look at the birds, free and unfettered, care-less in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to their life?’

Worry is a part of life for so many of us but by always thinking ahead we are missing out on today, the moments as they happen. Have you ever tried sitting and watching the birds as I did, or going for a walk and trying to pay full attention to what you see, the little, often overlooked things? I have found that as I’ve focussed more on the moment I get a better perspective on what’s ahead, the things that really matter.

Life does have its difficulties and we can’t ignore that. But often our worry is really ‘fretting’, chewing things over, building scenarios that haven’t even happened in our minds.

If you catch yourself doing that why not ‘look at the birds’ and try living for the moment a bit more?